


How High

by DizzyNun



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-29 13:18:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7686007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DizzyNun/pseuds/DizzyNun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prison AU: Keep your head down. Do your time. Get out alive. Kuroko figured if he just hanged in there, someday they would have to let him out. One day his prison cell will open, and he would walk out of there a free man. M/M Nonconsensual.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fate and Luck

Warnings: male/male, Nonconsensual sex, violence, and language. You have been warned.

**How High**

**Fate and Luck**

"I should have never tossed that knife in that sewer drain." Kagami whispered to no one in particular. It didn't matter, Kuroko decided, and he told him so. It didn't matter what he did, should have did, or what he didn't do.

Everyone Kuroko met in prison was aggrieved by something. There was always something the authorities got wrong. There was always something they claimed you did when you didn't, or some evidence that was fabricated. Not that it mattered. None of that mattered. What mattered was they had got you.

"Do you regret it?" Kuroko whispered back softly. He didn't think Kagami had heard him until his hard eyes locked onto his own.

"No. I don't."

Kagami Taiga was big enough, and had a look that said don't-fucking-mess-with-me that he didn't have any problems with the other inmates. When prison shit when down, as prison shit always did, Kagami avoided it. Kuroko and developed a peculiar relationship with the taller man. Kuroko didn't interact the other inmates. He just hid within Kagami's shadow. He always one step behind Kagami, so most of the time he went unnoticed. He was invisible, and he preferred it that way. Kagami didn't seem to mind his cellmate was tailing him and so they served their sentences as quietly as possible.

Keep your head down. Do your time. Get out alive.

Kuroko figured if he just hanged in there, someday they would have to let him out. One day his prison cell will open, and he would walk out of there a free man. It was his distant beam of hope, but with each passing day, it became harder and harder to focus on.

"The first thing I'm going to do when I get out is take a bath then make a real meal." said Kagami.

"And then you'll live happily ever after?" whispered Midorima.

Midorima didn't even look at Kagami when he spoke to him. It was forbidden for inmates to communicate while working in the prison shop. Those who were caught were either beaten or put in solitary confinement. That day they were assembling wooden stools, which was slightly more interesting than folding paper bags. "Happiness is not something ready made," said Kuroko "it comes from your own actions."

"That sounds familiar." "It's a quote by the Dalai Lama."

"What the fuck is a Dalai Lama?" asked Shogo Haizaki. Haizaki was tall, muscular man with messy dark hair he pulled back in cornrows. He was sentenced to ten years in prison for assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Kuroko did not care for him. The only reason he even interacted with him because his assigned seat was next to his on the assemble line.

"That bitch thought she could walk out on me," ranted Haizaki again. Kuroko sighed. Everyday it was the same tirade. "Was I suppose to let her disrespect me like that? Was I?" Haizaki asked Kuroko furiously. If Haizaki ever got out of prison, he would kill that poor girl. "I had to put that skank in her place."

"You sure showed her." Midorima whispered sarcastically.

Haizaki bristled at his taunting tone. "Screw you White-Collar!"

That outburst caught the guards' attention.

"Quiet down you scum or we will silence you permanently!" The voice was harsh, whip-like. Two of the guards approached Haizaki, their batons draw. Haizaki didn't back down. He stood up and faced the guards.

"Get back to work now!"

"Stand down, Haizaki." Kuroko whispered harshly. The entire prison assembly line was frozen. All eyes where on Haizaki. Kuroko looked for fear in his eyes and saw not a speck-only rage.

"Fuck you!" Haizaki took the first swing, and then there was a fury of screams and limbs. Haizaki was beaten relentlessly with police batons until he hit the concrete ground with sickening thud. It didn't end there. One of the guards stomped on his chest until he coughed up blood. Kuroko couldn't bare to watch. He clenched his eyes shut, but he could still hear Haizaki's ragged gasps, the cracking of his ribs.

_Please God make it stop._

"Prisoner eleven open your eyes. Look at me!"

Kuroko obeyed. He stared into the guard's cold amber eyes. His face displayed no emotion. The guard smiled. "Let this be a lesson to all of you," he warned. " I don't want to hear a word out of any of your mouths." He pointed his bloodstained baton at the horrified crowd. "You don't have a voice." His smile widened, but there was no warmth to it.

He spit on Haizaki's lifeless body. "Bring this piece of shit to the infirmary. If he lives, lock him up in isolation for a month." He said and then marched out of workshop. The assemble line continued to labor. Haizaki's pool of blood ignored.

" Stubborn fool," Kagami whispered when the guards were out of earshot.

"That was cruel, Midorima." Kuroko said.

"He deserved it," Midorima said quietly, screwing together the legs of the stool, and passing to the Kuroko, who bolted it tight.

"I'm not a kind man, Kuroko." Midorima's said. His voice seemed small and distant.

"Do you regret it?" Kuroko asked him.

"The only thing I regret is not having my lucky item that day," he said.

Kagami sighed, "Seriously, how can someone as brilliant as you be so obsessed with zodiac-signs and horoscopes?"

" I got away with embezzlement and money laundering for years. The one-day I didn't have my lucky item my secretary forgot her paperwork in a taxi."

"Its just a coincidence." Kagami said sternly.

"It was fate," Midorima said back confidently. He looked at Kagami then, his green eyes softened. "My luck finally ran out."

They had a fifteen-minute break in the prison courtyard before heading back into the workshop. Kuroko didn't feel like talking to anyone, not that he said much anyway. He sat down exhausted, resting his back against the concrete. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the world. His eyes snapped open when he felt a soft touch brushing his bangs away from his eyes. Kagami hand was calloused and hideously strong, but his touch was cool.

"Are you alright? You look sick." Kuroko couldn't explain what he was feeling. He looked helplessly at Kagami. Something felt wrong. A fear was growing inside of him. Kuroko felt like he was being watched. Maybe he was being more paranoid than usual, but in prison paranoia was very useful skill for survival. Kuroko had been extremely distant, more shadowy than usually. He didn't realize his distance was causing his friend to worry.

" I only have one more year left." Kuroko said, because he felt like he should say something. Kagami studied Kuroko silently with his ruby eyes.

"I'll miss you, Tetsu." Kuroko's eyes met his. It was the first time he ever used his first name.

"I'll-" Kuroko's words died in his throat. One of the inmates was staring at him. Kuroko never seen this man before, and that lingering gaze made him feel troubled. There was something strange about his eyes. One of them was darker than the other.

* * *

 

**Thanks for reading peeps. I've only introduced five characters so far, one of them was the prison guard. Guess who? Feedback appreciated.**


	2. The Beauty and the Giant

_The dead can't see, but her eyes were open. And she was staring straight at him. Kuroko bolted into the bathroom, and saw her white and lifeless in a sea of her own blood. Dozens, if not hundreds, of cuts and puncture wounds covered her arms and legs. The worst of her wounds was her chest. Someone, with the precision of a surgeon, carved her beasts off. He screamed, "No! No!" and jumped into the tub, in an foolish attempt to revive her. The thick, acrid smell of decay assaulted his senses. He sobbed hopelessly. He refused to believe so much life, so much kindness was gone, forever. He had to get out. He stumbled out of the bathroom in an daze, covered in her blood. Somehow he ended up outside, wandering barefoot in the snow. In the distance, he heard the sound of a police siren approaching. Did he call the police? He couldn't remember. The police car pulled up with lights flashing, blocking his path. Two officers exited the car. The men pointed their flash lights in Kuroko's face, blinding him. Their questions accusing. He couldn't take it anymore. He just wanted it to end._

_"The body is inside." he said. His voice flat, without emotion._

Kuroko awoke and sat straight up, sweat trickling down his cheeks before disappearing down his neck. He slumped back down on his mattress. The memory still haunted him. He tried to hold back his tears, but his strength wavered. He whispered her name to the darkness.

It had been a very long time since Kuroko cried, so long he thought he had forgotten how. But he began to cry then, in painful sobs. Kuroko spent the rest of the night, crying silently, listening to Kagami grunt and snore in the bunk below him. Several cells away a man screamed obscenities and howled like a animal, from time to time someone would scream at him to shut the fuck up. Kuroko blocked that noise out. Instead he focused on the soft sounds of Kagami's snoring. The minutes passed painfully, lonely and slow.

Three hundred and sixty-three days to go.

In the exercise yard the wind gusted. Kuroko watched silently as little snowflakes danced in the breeze. It was going to be a long, chilly day. He huffed hot air onto his hands. He was losing feeling in his fingertips.

"Are you cold, Kuroko?" Kagami asked him softly. He studied Kuroko intently, and Kuroko stared back at him blankly.

Midorima huffed sarcastically. "Of course he's cold. Everyone is cold!" he snapped. " The warden doesn't turn on the furnaces until the first of December."

"Is he trying to freeze us to death?" Kagami asked him, irritated.

"That's the system." Midorima replied, in a matter-of-factly, giving Kagami a cold smile. "It's a simple and efficient way to save money which means more money in the wardens' pockets. I would do the same thing in his position."

"You're heartless."

Kuroko ignored their chatter, instead he watched the body movement of the guards, of the other inmates, searching for any sign of what was to come next. He couldn't explain it, but he had that feeling again. There was a hollowness in the pit of his stomach. He could feel eyes on him. Kuroko scanned the prison yard searching for the one man who always watched him from afar.

"He isn't here." he whispered softly. Kuroko's soft voice silenced the bickering between Kagami and Midorima

"Who isn't here?" Kagami asked. Kuroko gave him no answer. Kagami's frowned. Sometimes he felt like he was talking to a wall. Midorima let out a sigh and gestured to prison gate.

"Look."he said. "They're bringing in the new inmates." Kagami, Midorima, and Kuroko all turned their attention to chained gate, and silently watched as the guards marched the chain-gang by. The other inmates hooted and hollered at the newly sentenced like madman, it was some sort of sick orientation that every inmate had to go through.

Chained together, with only five feet of space between them, the new arrivers shuffled awkwardly through the prison gates. Most of the new arrivals were repeat offenders. Kuroko recognized all of the men passing through expect for two. The first man was handsome, and Kuroko found himself staring. He had short blond hair and hazel eyes so stunning Kuroko mistakenly thought he was wearing gold tinted contacts.

"He's too pretty." Kagami said, voicing everyone thoughts. Midorima shook his head sadly. The first rule to surviving in prison is avoiding the attention of the other inmates. This man would have no such luck.

"You gonna be my bitch, Blondie!" Someone in the crowd called out. The man simply ignored their catcalls and whistles, which only seemed to infuriate the other men.

"Hey! Hey! Don't fuckin' ignore me, pussy!"

The second man was impossibly tall. Kuroko figured he had to be around seven feet tall. He had long, violet hair that was pulled back in a loose ponytail and unexpressive violet eyes.

"Motherfucker big!"

"Fee-fi-fo-fum!" One of the inmates shouted, and the hacklers exploded into laughter.

The tall, muscular man gave no response. Not one reaction. He appeared utterly bored with the entire situation.

"He's trouble." Midorima said suddenly.

Kagami lifted an eyebrow, curious. "Mm. He's huge but he seems harmless."

"His hands." said Kuroko.

"Ah. You noticed it too." Midorima said, impressed.

"Wait. What did he notice?" Kagami asked.

"Look for yourself."

Kagami stared at the man's massive hands, his hands were trembling. It wasn't the tremor of alcoholism or the timid shake intimation. He was not afraid. This man was overwhelmed by rage, too furious to control his involuntary twitch. Kagami smirked. "Interesting."

"I suggest avoiding him, Kagami." Midorima paused, then said, " The guards are breathing down out a necks as is. We don't need anymore trouble. "

Kuroko continued to watch the chain-gang march by with a expression that betrayed nothing. In the food hall Kazunari Takao slide next to Kuroko and smiled, showing off his pearly whites. Takao's smile was big and contagious, and Kuroko couldn't help but offer a small smile at his arrival.

"Welcome back, Takao."

"Glad to be back, Kuroko. Did you guys see the new meat? Interesting pair, right?" He sat down between Kuroko and Midorima and began to eat his rice.

"Hmm.. this food is… still shitty as ever." he said, with mouth full of food. Midorima frowned, and Takao simply snickered at his disgusted face. "Hey Shin-Chan, did you miss me?"

"No."

"You're a lying fuck. If I didn't sneak in your lucky items, you would be locked up ding-wing with all the other loonies." Takao said with a smirk. Takao was known as a packrat. By the age of twenty, he had been arrested seventeen times. Once released, Takao would get the requested "goods" for the other inmates, then he'd commit another petty crime. Takao would smuggle in all sorts of contraband goods like magazines, love letters, gum, narcotics, and even cell phones. He was well respected within the prison gangs, and was under the protection of some of the most dangerous inmates.

"Did you get it?" Midorima asked, bluntly.

One blue eye closed in a slow wink. "Of corse, Shin-Chan. I wouldn't let my favorite customer down. "

"What do you want?" Takao smiled at Midorima's question. There was something off about this smile. Kuroko didn't like it.

"This time it's free of charge." Takao said. He pulled out a small coin and flipped it at him. Midorima caught the coin, examined it, and quickly hid it within his prison jumpsuit.

"How did you get it past the guards?" Kagami asked, amazed. Coins were contraband. If you were caught carrying one, they would lock you up in solitary confinement for weeks. Coins were a popular weapon choice. You could sharpen the edges against stone, slice someones face open in a fight.

"I have my ways." Takao said, still smiling his odd smile.

"You should really join my crew, Kuroko. I have good eyes, and I've seen some of your tricks. Your misdirection could really come in handy with the guards."

"No thank you."

Takao snickered. " I just don't get you."

"What's not to get?"

"You. You're too polite. Too quiet. You wait like the old guys, but you can't be any older than me. I just don't get it. What the hell did you do to end up in here?"

Kagami stopped eating, he ruby eyes narrowed, dangerously. Takao fidgeted nervously under his heated gaze.

Midorima frowned at Takao. "Don't pester him."

Takao raised his hands in mock surrender, and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for asking." He shoveled the rest of his food in mouth and then got up. "It's been a pleasure gentlemen." He said sarcastically. He then glanced at Kuroko sharply. "You should really reconsider my offer. You can't hide forever."

" I wont have to. I'll be out in one year." Kuroko replied, full of resolve.

"Sure." Takao said, eyeing him keenly. "Be careful, Kuroko. I'm not the only one who has taken an interest in you."

Kuroko felt his stomach lurch inside him. The voice in the back of his head whispered the bad thing was coming. He told himself he was being stupid, but his heart was pounding out of his chest. Takao left Kuroko alone with his fears.

"You didn't have to drive him off Kagami. " Midorima said in a disappointed tone.

"Yeah I did. He was being an ass." Kagami answered. "Fuck! I forgot to ask him he any Sports Illustrated magazines."

"He wouldn't trade with you. He doesn't like you."


	3. Blood and Candy

**Blood and Candy**

Kuroko woke up cold and stretched awkwardly in his small bunk. The fluorescent lights were dazzling, and his head hurt. He rubbed his eyes. Three hundred and sixty-two days to go, starting today with some stale bread and some watered downed coffee. He sat at his usual spot in the cafeteria with Kagami and Midorima, discussing the prison's newest dilemma the frozen water pipes, until a guard named Hanamiya grasped Kuroko's shoulder harder than he needed to and said, "Prisoner eleven, follow me."

Kuroko flinched at his touch. It was him. The guard that almost beat Haizaki to death. The bad thing was finally happening. Kagami nostrils flared. His corners of his mouth turned into a snarl.

"Why? Where are you taking him?"

Hanamiya spat at Kagami "Did I give you permission to speak, prisoner?!"

Kuroko froze up. He looked from Hanamiya to Kagami, grave and dangerous. This was bad. Kagami was going to get himself locked up in SHU, or worse time added to his sentence. Midorima cleared his throat loudly, breaking the stalemate between Kagami and Hanamiya.

"Kuroko, go with him." he pleaded, softly.

Kuroko nodded, thankful for Midorima for defusing the situation. He stood up and stepped forward. The cafeteria bustled with whispers, a stir among the prisoners, who watched the scene with curious eyes. Kagami just looked pained as he watched Kuroko fall into step behind Hanamiya. He could do nothing to help him. They walked through a couple of checkpoints in silence. Hanamiya showed his ID each time.

"Your attorney has been making quite the fuss lately." said Hanamiya suddenly, as they walked. Kuroko said nothing, just stared at him impassively. When dealing with prison guards, the best thing to do was not speak. Speak only when required.

"Fine piece of ass, that girl. What is her name again? Riko Aida, right?"

"Yes." Kuroko stared ahead, and concentrated on not allowing himself to riled up by this man.

"She is using every legal trick in the book to get you an early release. You'll be leaving soon, I hear."

"I hope so, sir"

"You'll be back. This I know, because you're a fuckup. I can see it in your eyes. You are nothing but trash. You'll always be trash. If I had it my way, none of you garbage would get out. I'd hang you all from the gallows." He smiled darkly at Kuroko. "You're a pretty small guy. You probably last a little longer than most, hang for a good ten minutes. You'd give the crowd a real good show." He laughed, as if it was genuinely funny. 

Kuroko didn't back down. He held Hanamiya's cold gaze, but remained silent. They walked up a flight of stairs, and then they stood outside the warden's office. Kuroko never been here before but he knew where his office was. Hanamiya slide his ID card, and the miniature traffic light above the door flashed from red to green. Hanamiya opened the door and they went inside. Kuroko had only seen the warden two times in the last four years. Once when he had been showing some big wig politician around the prison. The other time was during a lockdown, he gave a speech. He told the prisoners that prison was overpopulated, and it would remain overpopulated, and they should all stop whining about it.

This was the first time he saw the man up close. He was overweight ugly man, with a pudgy face. His hair was cut into a neat military style. He looked like he hadn't sleep in days. Kuroko briefly felt sorry for the him. His office was perfectly clean, besides a few books scattered on his desk.

"Kuroko, right? Please take a seat." Kuroko sat down by the desk, appreciating the civility. Hanamiya stood behind him. The warden pulled out a file out of his desk drawer, and placed it in front of him.

"You're quite the celebrity, boy." the warden said. "The media portrayed you as a tragic hero." Kuroko sat up straight, and said nothing. The warden studied him with tired eyes.

"Some people believe you shouldn't have been convicted at all. After all, all you did was murder a murderer."

Kuroko felt a small hurt in his chest. In his heart.

"Do you think you belong in prison?" asked the warden.

There was no right answer to that question, so Kuroko said nothing. The warden narrowed his eyes then tapped Kuroko's file with his index finger.

"Says here you were sentenced for fifteen years for second degree manslaughter. You served four."

_Were?_

Kuroko felt his stomach turn in fear. He wondered how much more time he was going to serve. Was he was going to add more time to sentence? The warden noticed his inner turmoil.

"Relax. Your first parole hearing will still be held around this time next year. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. I try to speak often to all the future parole inmates. As you know, I am the head of parole committee. Without my approval, you'll never leave this place." Kuroko nodded.

"You're twenty-five? You look much, much younger." Kuroko had a babyface. He was use to people underestimating him, disregarding him.

"I hear you are a model inmate. Most of the guards barely notice you at all." the warden continued.

"I learned my lesson."

"Did you!?" The warden snapped. "Forgive me if I don't take your word. Everyone here claims they learned their lesson, and yet my prison is overpacked."

Kuroko nodded slowly, and concentrated on appearing remorseful.

"That man you shot, he was on trial for murdering your wife?"

"Fiancee. We were going to get married in the spring."

"How did you meet her?"

Kuroko considering telling him to mind his own business. What did he want from him? Why was he making him relive this pain, to speak of it?

"I met her in junior high. She was my best buddy's best friend." he paused. "I gave her a free ice-cream." Kuroko voice was blunt, giving as little details as possible. The warden cleared his throat before he spoke.

"He would have walked. " he said.

Kuroko could feel, somewhere deep inside him, rage and pain building. He breathed deeply through his nose, out his mouth, forcing the tension out of him.

"You knew the jury wouldn't convict him. The evidence was too circumstantial. There was no DNA linking him to the scene, nothing." the warden said.

Kuroko gritted his teeth.

"That is why you took a .25 caliber gun and shot him. My question though is _how_?"

Kuroko looked at the warden blankly, his anger still budding beneath his emotionless expression.

"How did you sneak pass the courthouse guards? How did you get through three metal detectors without triggering the alarms? Was it an inside job?"

"No."

The warden leaned forward and glared down at Kuroko. "Don't lie to me, boy. "

"I'm not lying, sir. I did it alone. I did it because I knew I could." Kuroko said without regret, without remorse.

The warden studied Kuroko with grave eyes, not really believing him. "You can leave." he said. Hanamiya walked Kuroko back to his cell, not saying anything. Kuroko noticed they were taking the long way back, so he asked him why. Hanamiya smiled that smile again. He stopped walking once they stood in front of the employee restrooms.

"You heard about the frozen pipes, right? All the restrooms in your cellblock are out of order. Go use restroom or else you'll be shitting in a cup tonight." Kuroko looked at the man with skepticism. He stood perfectly still, weary of this unusual kindness. He wondered if he felt sympathy for him after hearing his story.

"Go. I'll wait for you here." Hanamiya ordered and Kuroko obeyed, cautiously walking into the restroom. The guard restroom was clean, and well lit. It was refreshing change from the usually disgusting urinals and the broken bathroom stalls without the doors. Kuroko looked around the bathroom, a force of habit. You can't defend yourself when you're taking a piss. Inmates were often shanked in restrooms. He pulled down his orange jumpsuit pants and pissed, relaxing, feeling relief. There was a loud grunt from the stall to his left although he heard no one come in. Kuroko began to panic. Suddenly two of the bathroom stalls swung open, and three inmates stepped out. He quickly pulled his pants up, and turned to flee.

A huge, tan man that resembled a gorilla blocked the door. Kuroko tried to duck pass him, but another man with blond hair and a snaggletooth in the corner of his mouth grabbed his shoulder. Kuroko socked him in the jaw. The man cried out pain, clutching his mouth. His mouth bleed profusely, so did Kuroko's knuckles. The third man watched the scene with annoyance.

"Nebuya, just grab him already!" The man with the long, dark hair ordered. Nebuya grabbed Kuroko from behind before he could escape. Kuroko struggled in his iron grip, thrashing wildly. The smaller blonde seemed to recover from the sucker punch. His face turned a deep, angry red.

"You little shit!" he spat. He punched Kuroko repetitively, with all of his strength. Kuroko felt himself go limp, and then he was falling. His head hit the bathroom floor with a definite thud. He blacked out for a few seconds after that. He laid defenseless, in no position to defend himself, sprawled out on the floor.

"Christ, Hayama! He's bleeding." The man with long dark hair and gentle eyes said.

"He hit me, Big Sis!" The blonde whined. "He hits pretty damn hard for a small guy."

Gorilla man laughed loudly, his voice deep and boisterous. "Moron. What do you think will hurt more a chipped tooth or gouged out eyes?"

Hayama paled at his words, completely terrified.

Mibuchi sighed loudly and jabbed Kuroko in his side with his foot. "Hey I know you're awake." Kuroko raised his head from the floor, and looked into Mibuchi's soft blueish-green eyes.

"Don't take this personally, OK. Because this isn't personal. I honestly had no idea who you were until a few days ago. You're a goddamn spook. I mean you're so unnoticeable. We're in the same cellblock. We work in shop together, at the same time, but I never noticed you." said Mibuchi. Kuroko sluggishly tried to stand up, but Nebuya put his giant foot on his back, pining him down. Mibuchi continued. "Unfortunately for you, Sei-chan noticed you."

"Sei-chan?" Kuroko asked, then he recalled the man with mismatched eyes. The man who always watched him from afar, never approaching.

"Don't call him that." Mibuchi said with a soft smile. "You'll call him Akashi. Whatever Akashi wants, Akashi gets, got it? When he says jump, you ask 'How high?', 'How far?', and 'Where the fuck should I land?'." he paused. "Listen. After the guards do the nightly headcount, you're going to sneak out. You will meet him in the library tonight, understand?"

Kuroko shook his head. "I...I can't. "

Mibuchi laughed. His laughter was warm and sincere. " I told him that too, but Akashi has high expectations of you. He thinks you can do it, easily."

Kuroko tried to reason with him. "What about the guards?"

"The guards are the least of your worries, shadow boy." Mibuchi said, then he gestured to the door. Nebuya removed his foot from Kuroko's back and walked out of the restroom with Hayama in tow.

Mibuchi walked over to the sink, and turned the faucet. "Clean yourself, up." Mibuchi ordered. Kuroko slowly pulled himself up from the ground. Blood slowly oozed from the side of head, down his face.

"Guard Hanamiya is going to escort you back to your cell, and you're not going to say a word about this to anyone." Kuroko felt numb. He nodded slowly. "Be in the library tonight or you'll regret it." Mibuchi said as he waked out the bathroom, not in a threatening way but as if he was stating a simple fact. Kuroko limped to the sink and splashed water on his face, washing the blood away. The cold water stung his wounds.

_What now?_

He took some paper towels out of the holder and pressed it against his head. As he tossed the blooded and crumpled towels into the trash, the bathroom door opened. Kuroko looked over his shoulder and recognized the man instantly. It was the colossal inmate from the day before, the giant with the lazy eyes. The two men stared at each another for a moment, and then the tall man's gaze drifted to the sink, where the bloody tissues laid scattered. He approached Kuroko, towering over the smaller man. Kuroko's heart beat uncomfortably hard. He just kept staring at him with his big curious violet eyes, remaining silent. He reached out his massive clenched fist, as if involuntarily to Kuroko. Kuroko clenched his eyes shut, feeling trapped. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes to see the giant fist had opened, revealing a handful of small, colorful candies. Kuroko looked at candies then the gentle giant in complete disbelief. Tears swelled up in his eyes, the events of the day finally catching up to him. He'd once thought he would never cry again, but here he was, in tears.

"Thank you." Kuroko mumbled, wiping away his tears.

The giant just smiled.

 

* * *

**Working on chapter four now. :)**

 


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